Adjustable tracker for piano-players.



0. F. HINTZ. ADJUSTABLE TRACKER FOR PIANO PLAYERS. APPLICATION FILED 123.24, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

0. F. HINTZ. ADJUSTABLE TRACKER FOR PI'ANO PLAYERS.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' sheet and tracker bar over which said sheet' UNITED STATES 1 mmOFFICE.

or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR ro FARRAND ORGAN COMPANY, OF DETROIT,MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

ADJUSTABLE 'rnacxna non PIANO-PLAYERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. ma .4, 1969.

Application filed February 2 4, 1903: Serial No. 144,903.

ll Improvements in Adjustable Trackers for Piano-Players, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

The invention relates to pneumatic players for musical instruments, andhas more particular reference to the construction of the tracker.

In the present state of the :art various forms of pneumatic players havebeen devised, all of which employ a perforated music is fed,-in which isformed a series of ports leading to .the pneumatics. In difierent makesof instruments the range of ports in the trackers is not always uniform,and as a consequence the music which is constructed for the one make ofinstrument cannot be employed on the other.

It is the object of the present invention to obtain a construction oftracker which is adapted for use with music of difierent regis tration,and to this end the invention consists in the peculiarconstruction of atracker which has an adjustable range, and further in the peculiarconstruction, arrangement and combination of parts, as hereinafterdcscribed and claimed.

drawn from the roll A over the strip D and l connected by inclinedpassages h and h with In the drawings Figure is a vertical cross sectionthroughone form of tracker to which my improvements are applied showingin connection therewith the music sheets and rolls. Fig. 2 is asectional front elevation of the-trackenshown in Fig. 1.- Fig. 3 is alongitudinal section through a portion of a tracker of'modifiedconstruction, F i'g. 4 is a cross section therethrough. Fig. 5 is a lanview of the lower or permanent section of the tracker, and Fig. 6 is aerspective view of the upper or exchanges. le section of the tracker. IIn the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 A indicates the music holdingroll and B-the winding roll of a pneumatic player. C is a trackerwhichmay 'be of. any ordinary construction, being provided with theported face strip D over which the music sheet E is adapted to travel.

' In normal operation the music sheet E is to the roll B as indicated bythe'dotted line in Fig. 1. Where is is desired to use music of differentregistration or range an auxilia tracker section F is used, which isadapted to it upon the ported face strip D of the tracker C. Thesection]? has formed therein a series of passages a, which on the innerface of the section are adapted to register with the corresponding ports11 in the strip D. The outer faces of the section F is rovided with aseries of ports d which are 0 different registration from the series oforts b; The passages a are inclined at difl to connect the ports in theseries I) with its corresponding ports inthe series (1.

The auxiliary section F of the tracker may be secured in position in anysuitable man'- ner, such as'by means of bolts G secured to the maintracker C and en aging with apertures inthe section F. The outer ends ofthese bolts are threaded for the enga ment of the winged nuts H by meansof WhlOh the section Fmay be firmly clamped against the section 0.

strip of the auxiliary section F and thence to %he winding roll B, asshown in full lines in The range of the port d being adapted to registerwith the music for which the auxiliary section is designed, it isevident that the o eration will be the same with music of t is characteras with sheets constructed for the regular tracker C.

In Figs..3, 4, 5 and 6 is illustrated a modified construction in whichthe tracker is formed in separable sections, and a plurality ofinterchangeable outer or detachable sections are provided for use witha'common stationary section.- As shown, I is the stationary or permanentsection of the tracker ports e passing therethrough. These ports may beformed by boring and may be-connected by nipples f with the conduits Jleadingto the neumatics, not shown. By boring these ports e andstaggering them they may be made ofmuch largerareathan would be possibleif placed in a single line. K and K are interchangeable detachablesections, which on their inner faces are provided'with a series of portsg, arranged to register with lthe ports e in the section I. The ports 9are erent angles so holderv A may be drawn around the face:

which is preferably formed with staggered the. ports 2' and 71 formedrespectively in the face strips ofthe sections K and K.

- sections K and K, so that in the section K the range of ports 11 is ofgreater length than the ports 6 in the section I, whereas inthe sectionK the rangeof orts i is of lesser length than in the section Thisopposite inclination of the passages of the sections K K is not essentiabut it is desirable for the reason that the angle is not as great ineither section as it would be if the other section were formed withparallel passages.

To prevent the possibility of leakage of.

air, one or theother of the adjoining faces of the sections I and K K isrovided with a facing such as 'n, of any suita 1e packing material.

'In use the sections K and K may be exchanged one for the other and maybe secured in position on the section I by any suitable means, such for'instance -as the dowel pins 0 and clamping means, either as shown inFigs. 1 and 2 or of any suitable construction.

'I have used the term range in these specifications to indicategenerally the variance of the transverse positions of the inlets to theducts of the removable tracker boards and also'the transversearrangement ofthe perforations of the music sheet. In certain musicsheets or rolls the position of the perforations vary relative to eachothertranstheir ducts spaced respectively in relatively A differentranges, and means for locating and securing either of said trackers inoperative position on the instrument.

2. In a mechanical musical playing instrument the combination Witha ductsection,

'of means associated therewith for varying transversely 'the range andposition of the inlet ports of said ducts.

3. The combination with a main duct section, of a mechanical musicalinstrument, of movable means associated with said section for-varyingthe transverse range of the inlet openings to said duct section, andmeans for securing vsaid movable means fixedly in place.

4. A tracker in combination with a duct section of means for changingthe range of the entire series of inlet ports, and means for securingsaid changing means fixedly in adjusted position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.v

' o'r'ro r. nrx'rz.

'itnesses: 1 A

M. .B- ODOGHRRTY,' H. 0. SMITH.

